Theftproof license tag



April 2, 1940. A. LYLE THEFTPROOF LICENSE TAG Filed' Oct. 30, 1939 Patented Apr. 2,1940

UN TATES PATENT? OFFICE 'ITHEFTPROOF LICENSE. TAG I r Adolph Lyle, Wanette, Okla. Application October 30; 1939, Serial No. 302,029

the bead being provided with openings to receive a metal block having resilient wings, at the inner ends thereof with the wings being flared out- 15 Wardly so that when the blocks are placed within the openings at the: upper end of the tag, the wings will extend outwardly upon opposite sides of the tag so that-when the tag isforced longitudinally of the channel, the wings will be com- 20 pressed until they reach shoulders formed on the inner opposite wallsof the channel when said wings will expand and engage the shouders and prevent sliding movement of. the tag in the holder.

25 A. further object of the invention is the provi- 1 sion of a holder for automobile license tags on which a channel is formed to receive the upper end of the tag with cooperating means on the tag and inner walls-of the channel to preventthe 3o tag from being, moved longitudinally along the holder after the cooperating'mean's' are interlocked in engagement.

This invention will be best understood from a consideration'of the following detailed description, in view'of the: accompanying drawing forming a part of the specification; nevertheless, it is to be understood that the invention is not confined to the disclosure, being susceptible to such changes and modifications as define no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in theappended claims.

In the drawing: Figure 1 is a view in elevation of a holder supporting a tag and constructed in accordance with 45 the principles of my invention,

Figure 2 is a horizontal section taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, I

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical section taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, 50 Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical section taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 2, and Figure 5 is a fragmentary View in perspective of the tag carrying a locking means.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, l 3

55 designates a holder which is formed of metal such 4 Claims. (01. spun as iron or steel: which will resist ordinary means for removing it from the automobile.

The holder at its lower end is provided with a depending lip ll which provides suflicient surface for securing the holderto the automobile. Directly opposite the lip II is formed a substantially V-shapd slot I2-to provide a left handed section l3 and a right handed section l4. On the upper edge of theholder of each section is formed a housing l5 which is made of metal .10 and which is of sufilcient strength or hardness to 7 prevent some unauthorized person from cutting through the channel.

Each housing is provided with a vertical channel, generally designated by the numeral I6, and .15 a horizontal channel IT. The ends l8 and I 9 of the horizontal channel. Illv are located upon opposite sides of the vertical channel It. It will be noted that these ends are enclosed within the housing. The vertical channel, however, as shown at 20 opens at. its lower end through the bottom-1 2| of the housing, in order to receive the upper edge of an automobile license tag, generally designated by the numeral 22.

The side edges of the holder, as shown at 25, are cut away toprovide'ears 26. These ears. are provided with slots 21 whichreceive bolts passing through perforations 28- formed in the tag 22 for maintaining the lower end of the tag tight against the holder I 0 to prevent vibration of the tag when thevehicle is being operated.

The tag adjacent butinwardly of the periphery is provided with a bead 30. The upper longitudinal portion 31 of the bead is provided with a pair of openings-32 and 33. A block 34 is 10- I cated within the opening 32 while a block 35 is located in the opening 33. Each of these blocks is formed ofmetal. The block. 34 is provided with wings 36 adapted to engage shoulders 31 formed in the innerside walls of the housing 40 I5. These shoulders are in such a position that when the wings 3B are moved inwardly with the tag 22 that they will fall into the pockets 33 with the free ends of the wings engaging the shoulders.

The block 35 is also provided with a pair of wings 40 which drop into pockets 4| so that the free ends of the wings will engage shoulders 42 located at the ends of the pockets. It' will be noted that the wings 36 and the wings 40 when the tag is in locked position project towards each other or towards the center of the tag.

When it is desired to place a tag within the holder theupper end of the tag is neatly inserted within the vertical slot 20 at the left hand side of the holder Ill. The tag is then forced inwardly with the bead 3D riding within the space formed by the vertical and horizontal grooves I8 and I1, respectively. When the opening 33 reaches the space between the inner edges l2 of the sections I 3 and I 4 the block 35 is inserted within the opening 33 with the wings 40 pointing towards the left and located upon the opposite sides of the tag 22.

The block 34 is then placed within the opening 32 with the wings 36 pointing towards the right and then the tag is forced towards the right until the free ends of the wings 36 reach the left hand end of the housing 15. The wings are then pressed together so that they will enter the horizontal slot I1 and the tag is then further forced to the right until the ends of the wings 36 engage the shoulders 31 and the ends of the wings 40 slip over the shoulders 42 and are nested in the pockets 4|,

In this position of the tag it will be impossible to move the tag either to the right or left because if the tag is moved to the left the shoulders 42 in cooperation with the free ends of the wings 40 will prevent such movement while when it is attempted to move the tag to the right the shoulders 31 being engaged by the free ends of the wings 36 will prevent such movement.

It will be appreciated that since the wings 36 and 48 are spring fingers and since they are flared outwardly from the tag 22 to a distance greater than the width of the channel I! the free ends of the wings will snap into their various pockets automatically when the tag has been shoved into position.

The only way to remove the tag after it has thus been locked in position would be to destroy the plate holder I0. 1

The blocks because of their position in the horizontal chamber I! prevent the tag from being pulled downwardly from the housings while the fingers and shoulders prevent lateral displacement.

While I have shown two housings I5 on the plate ID, with a V-shaped space between the sections l3 and I4 for the convenience of inserting the block 35 within the opening 33, it will be appreciated that a single housing may be provided to receive the upper end of the tag. In that event, the block 35 is inserted in the opening 33 with the fingers pointing towards the left and the tag with the positioned block is moved to the right until the opening 34 approaches the left end of the housing when the other block is inserted as described above and the tag is then forced into locked position.

I claim:

1. In combination with a tag provided with spaced openings, a holder comprising a metal plate, a housing rigidly formed on the upper end of the plate and provided with a horizontal channel extending the length of the housing to receive the upper edge of said tag, a block located in each opening, flared wings projecting inwardly from the blocks and located upon each side of the tag, the inner walls of the housing having pairs of oppositely disposed shoulders adapted to be engaged by the free ends of the Wings when the full length of the upper edge of the tag has been forced longitudinally through the channel for immovably securing the tag to the plate.

2. In combination with a tag provided with spaced openings, a holder comprising a metal plate having a pair of spaced outwardly extendiug sections, a housing rigidly secured to the free end of each section, the inner ends of the housings being spaced from each other, said housings being provided with aligned channels to receive an edge of the tag and to completely enclose the openings, a block located in each opening, the walls of the channels having shoulders, wings-on the blocks, projecting towards the inner ends of the channels and adapted to engage the shoulders to prevent removal of the tag from the housings.

3. In combination with a tag provided with spaced openings, a holder comprising a metal plate having a pair of spaced outwardly extending sections, a housing rigidly secured to the free end of each section, the inner ends of the housings being spaced from each other, said housings being provided with aligned channels to receive an edge of the tag and to completely enclose the openings, a block located in each opening, the walls of the channels having shoulders, flared resilient wings on the blocks, projecting towards the inner ends of the channels and adapted to engage the shoulders to prevent removal of the tag from the housings, said wings adapted to be compressed towards each other when the edge of the tag is forced through the channels in the housings.

4. In combination with a tag provided with spaced openings, a holder comprising a metal plate having a pair of spaced outwardly extending sections, a housing rigidly secured to the free end of each section, the inner ends of the housings being spaced from each other, said housings being provided with aligned channels to receive an edge of the tag and to completely enclose the openings, a loosely mounted block located in each opening, cooperating means on the blocks and on the walls of the channels for preventing removal of the tag from the housings.

ADOLPH LYLE. 

